Inside the Mind of a Mainstream Linguist

You can read more at
http://language.home.sprynet.com/lingdex/lingview.htm

Final Linguistic Research Papers

See the BLOG

http://students-linguistic-research.blogspot.com/

Could you live without the Internet


An interesting interview on The Internet with British actor and writer, Stephen Fry.
http://tinyurl.com/2cgf23

Can you be the same creative???????

Washington Irving. "The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow" and "Little Britain"

Washington Irving

Now we tried our hands at reading "The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow" and "Little Britain".
What are your impressions?
Would you now like to go on reading any other books by him?

Elena

Evelyn Waugh "Decline and Fall"

Evelyn Waugh "Decline and Fall"
Waugh - "the only first-rate comic genius
that has appeared in English since
Bernard Shaw.”

Literary critic Edmund Wilson

_____________________________

Reading the book with Group 301 and 303 (2012 - 2013)

Some of the most interesting comments by you, the students, will be posted here. The original text is preserved.

by Nastya Mironova

“ I couldn’t understand why God had made the world at all”. (E.W.)

To my mind this phrase is the most interesting and complicated at the same time. When Mr. Prendergast was a clergyman of the Church of England and was preparing for a pious and full life he began to have Doubts. He couldn’t answer this question as well as his bishop and his mother couldn’t.
I think, it’s a really good question. There is unjustice, violence, treachery and many other bad things in this world. Of course, there are some good things too, but as a rule, people who are guided by goodness live at the lower walks of life. Even Mr. Prendergast had to resign his living and become a poor teacher, when he realized that he was unable to answer such an - this important question, though his refusal was unwise from the practical point of view. Very often some unfair things happen and why God created the world as it is? It’s hard to understand. Only the strongest and fittest people survive. Maybe, without such a selection there won’t be any evolution and progress at all, but in this case there is another question: we all know that the fittest and strongest sometimes make very bad things and give up their principles to be on the top… So, shall we do everything to be there too or shall we save our souls and hands clean and clear.

by Karina Kuzovova

Dr Fagan: “We schoolmasters must temper discretion with deceit.

'No, sir, and very sorry I am to hear about it. I expect you'll be becoming a schoolmaster, sir. That's what most of the gentlemen does, sir, that gets sent down for indecent behavior.’

The author wants to show us that all teachers were not ideal, all of them had their offences and vices. But our society thought that teachers were deities and idols. Of course, nobody wanted to be disclosed. So, the only way out of the situation was not to tell the truth. But it’s strange, because a teacher arouses a lot of new feelings and ideas in a pupil, this is a man who is imitated. And I can’t understand, why they are so disgusting in this book. In conclusion I can say that the author wants to prove that full responsibility for the consequences rests with teachers. Because they are a connecting link between pupils and modern society. 

  

by Lena Kastruba

Mr Levy: “It’s wonderful what one can teach when one tries.”

Being full of sincere admiration and self-satisfaction this phrase not just shows us the degradation of values and morals of people who are to teach the growing future and hope of the society and to sow wisdom, the good, the eternal in their hearts and minds, but I think this phrase describes the society on the whole. The devastation and the ruin that prevailed in the minds, the wish to become richer and more prosperous prevails over the reason and desire for help but not for harm. By this little phrase the author shows us how far had man gone in its lust after pleasing himself.

And here are some your general impressions of the book "Decline abd Fall" after reading Prelude and Chapters 1-4-. It'll be interesting to compare your impressions when we finish reading the book:):)

by Karina

To tell the truth, I am at a loss that our World  is so vicious. And teachers are not ideal. 

by Ksenia

 I have to admit I was quite astonished because of how the story began.

 by Julia

To sum up I like this story but the beginning (prelude) was rather difficult and I didn’t want to read further to tell the truth, but the farther the better. 

 by Lera

In this story everything struck me...I was amused by the stories of Captain Grimes and Mr. Prendergast, especially the latter one. I cannot picture to myself how people can speak about such Doubts seriously. So I like the manner of writing of the author and I would like to know what will happen to Paul surrounded by all these strange people.

 by Lena

I have mixed feelings about this part of the novel. On the one hand, I`m completely impressed by the language and style of the author. As I’ve read one of his books before I think I can call his way of presentation of his sarcastic and ironical attitude to the society and the situation, the characters and the uncovering of their nature through the simple and common at the first glance actions or cues his special feature. But on the other hand the honesty and truthfulness of this presentation amuses. From this aspect the society is represented as an ugly, disgraceful and vicious group of not people but wolves who worry only about their profits and purses. A complete absurdity of its laws and rules drives the reader to despair and rage at the same time. At first you want to laugh but then you realize that it really can be the truth and it makes you feel not at ease.

 by Ann

What struck me most was the situation in the scholastic agency. The advertisement Mr Levy gave to Paul read that one thing was wanted, but even though Paul didn't possess many of the qualities needed he was accepted. 

 by Ira Afonina

I was much amused by that part: it seemed to me witty and ironical, every character has his own peculiarities, which is very funny and gives a vivid impression of that society. 

by Mary Blashenkova

I liked the beginning of the novel..Besides the auther’s humour attracts my attention... So to tell the truth I started to read the next chapter and waited for funny, unexpected moments.

by Alina

To be honest, now this book didn’t  impress me much. Paul, poor creature, unfortunate, one day was in a wrong tie...it's actually sad. ...Now, it is difficult to judge the novel. I will wait for the development of the situation in the following chapters.

by Sasha

I liked this part, it’s rather an interesting beginning of the novel and I’d like to know what is going to happen to the main character. In this part there are some amusing moments, but what struck me most of all in this part is injustice to Paul.

 __________

Reading the book with Group 301 and 303 (2006 - 2007)

Now that we have finished reading this book I would like to know you opinions: what you felt when reading the first pages, what you felt reading the end, what you think about his style of writing.
And also perhaps your comments on how to make the discussions more interesting. 

And here is a nice surprise!!!! A little poem which the students of Group 301 (2006 - 2007) composed last year!

Everyone who has read and discussed with us the book "Decline and Fall"  will recognise the phrases from it (that the students learnt btw!!:) ). I am leaving the text of the Poem as it is to preserve your, the Students', originality:

We used to lead too sheltered life
Like a millionaire’s wife

But on the third course without more ado
We were made a lot to do.

Under the influence of that book
We were pinned down like fish on the hook.

During that term on different pretexts
We tried to avoid reading this text.

But as it was “an infraction of law”
Our teacher got us into a row.

We were made to go whole hog
Like a strider in the fog.

This book has given us the hell
But we’re old hand at it, as well

We’re looking at life in the raw
And we’re all keen on Evelyn Waugh!!!!

And also look - this is what I found on a Website about translation blunders:
Evelyn Waugh was a man. -  Эвел Мо была мужиком.
(то, что имя переврано - это ладно, но заметьте: былА, но МУЖИКОМ)
Elena

English spelling

English spelling is so bizarre that, as George Bernard Shaw once pointed out,
"ghoti" could conceivably be pronounced "fish", if the "gh" sound in "enough",
the "o" sound in "women",
and the "ti" sound in "action" were used.
http://www.sentex.net/~ajy/facts/languages.html